Devices for the treatment of liquids using plasma discharges and related methods

Abstract

Plasma discharges and electromagnetic fields may be applied to a liquid, such as water, to treat unwanted material in the liquid.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A system for treating unwanted material in a liquid comprising:
 a dual-field electromagnetic device (EM) section comprising,
 an immersible magnetic field section operable to generate a time-varying magnetic field and an induced electric field in a liquid, and 
 an immersible electric field section operable to generate a time-varying electric field, and an induced magnetic field in the liquid; and 
 
 a plasma discharge section comprising,
 a plurality of immersible and parallel, dielectric barrier discharge elements, where the number of elements varies based on a desired mass flow rate, and each element comprises negatively charged and positively charged electrodes operable to generate one or more plasma discharges within the liquid to create reactive and molecular species of ions in the liquid. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The system as in  claim 1  wherein the plurality of immersible and parallel, dielectric barrier discharge elements comprises double dielectric barrier discharge elements or single dielectric barrier discharge elements. 
     
     
       3. The system as in  claim 1  wherein each of the plurality of dielectric barrier discharge elements comprises an isolation section operable to physically separate and electrically isolate the electrodes and create channels within each element. 
     
     
       4. The system as in  claim 1  wherein the immersible electric field section comprises at least two immersible elements, wherein one of the elements is a positively charged element and the other element is a negatively charged element. 
     
     
       5. The system as in  claim 4  wherein the at least two immersible elements are cylindrically shaped. 
     
     
       6. The system as in  claim 1  wherein the immersible magnetic field section is further operable to generate a time-varying magnetic field modulated at an ionic cyclotron frequency of an unwanted material in a liquid, and the immersible electric field section is further operable to generate a time-varying electric field modulated at the ionic cyclotron frequency. 
     
     
       7. The system as in  claim 6  wherein the unwanted material is one or more ions of calcium carbonate, a bacteria or biological contaminant. 
     
     
       8. The system as in  claim 1  further comprising:
 impedance matching circuitry operable to,
 maintain an impedance of the dual-field EM device, a signal generator and a transmission medium connecting the EM device and generator at a matched impedance, and 
 maintain a constant amplitude of an electric field created by the electric field section and a constant amplitude of a magnetic field created by the magnetic field section. 
 
 
     
     
       9. A system for treating unwanted material in a liquid comprising:
 a dual-field EM device section, the EM device section comprising an immersible magnetic field section operable to generate a time-varying magnetic field modulated at an ionic cyclotron frequency of unwanted material in a liquid and an induced electric field, and apply the time varying magnetic field and induced electric field to unwanted material in a liquid, and an immersible electric field section operable to generate a time-varying electric field modulated at the ionic cyclotron frequency, and an induced magnetic field, and apply the time-varying electric field and induced magnetic field to the unwanted material at the same time as the magnetic field section is applying the generated magnetic field and the induced electric field; 
 a plasma discharge section comprising a plurality of immersible and parallel, dielectric barrier discharge elements, where the number of elements varies based on a desired mass flow rate, and each element comprises negatively charged and positively charged electrodes operable to generate one or more plasma discharges within the liquid to create reactive and molecular species of ions in the liquid; and 
 a signal generator operable to output a time-varying signal modulated at the ionic cyclotron frequency to the immersible magnetic field section and the immersible electric field section of the dual-field EM device section. 
 
     
     
       10. The system as in  claim 9  wherein the plurality of immersible and parallel, dielectric barrier discharge elements comprises double dielectric barrier discharge elements or single dielectric barrier discharge elements. 
     
     
       11. The system as in  claim 9  wherein each of the plurality of dielectric barrier discharge elements comprises an isolation section operable to physically separate and electrically isolate the electrodes and create channels within each element. 
     
     
       12. The system as in  claim 9  wherein the unwanted material is one or more ions of calcium carbonate, a bacteria or biological contaminant. 
     
     
       13. The system as in  claim 9  wherein the signal generator is further operable to output an oscillating or uniform time-varying signal modulated at the ionic cyclotron frequency to the immersible magnetic field section. 
     
     
       14. The system as in  claim 13  wherein the signal generator is an integrated signal generator and is further operable to generate or adjust a carrier frequency, percentage of modulation, modulation frequency, modulation waveform, output gain or offset levels of the time-varying signal. 
     
     
       15. The system as in  claim 9  further comprising a controller operable to determine a carrier frequency of the time-varying signal and a modulation signal corresponding to the ionic cyclotron frequency, and control the signal generator to output the time-varying signal at the determined carrier frequency and including the determined modulation signal. 
     
     
       16. The system as in  claim 9  wherein the controller is further operable to determine a percentage of modulation, a modulation frequency of the modulation signal, modulation waveform of the modulation signal, output gain or offset levels of the time-varying signal, and control the signal generator to output the time-varying signal and the modulation signal using the determined percentage of modulation, modulation frequency, modulation waveform, output gain and offset levels. 
     
     
       17. The system as in  claim 9  further comprising a graphical user interface (GUI) for displaying a combination of a fouling resistance, conductivity, power consumption, turbidity, corrosion, pH, and temperatures of the liquid and pump speeds, fan speeds, flow rates, biofouling, saturation index, hold/cold temperature differentials of components of the system used to treat the liquid, and parameters and data associated with the plasma discharge section. 
     
     
       18. The system as in  claim 17  wherein the GUI is part of an apparatus that communicates remotely with the signal generator. 
     
     
       19. The system as in  claim 9  further comprising:
 impedance matching circuitry operable to,
 maintain an impedance of the EM device section, the generator and a transmission medium connecting the EM device section and generator at a matched impedance, and 
 maintain a constant amplitude of the electric field and a constant amplitude of the magnetic field.